


A Curse Can Be A Blessing

by elirwen



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: BAMF Merlin, Canon Era, Court Sorcerer Merlin, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magical Pregnancy, Mpreg, Porn, Post-Magic Reveal, Pregnant Sex, Protective Arthur, Spells & Enchantments, morgana isn't evil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 06:32:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4866683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elirwen/pseuds/elirwen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morgana uses a spell to expose Arthur's true feelings to the person he loves, but the effects spread on the whole kingdom instead. But it's Merlin's magic that creates the next big surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Curse Can Be A Blessing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kitty_fic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitty_fic/gifts).



> This story was meant to be a submission for Merlin Mpreg 2013, but my writer's block has been really bad for so very long that I was unable to finish it until now. 
> 
> You can read the original prompt as well as warnings in the end notes. 
> 
> Kitty, I'm really sorry it took me so long, but I hope you'll like the result. :)

“You think you know everything best, don’t you, dear brother? So, tell me, do you know who loves you? Truly loves you?”

“Morgana, what has this got to do with the current situation of the kingdom?”

“You need to finally admit how much in love you are. It’s sickening to watch you pine all the time.”

“Morgana…”

“Don’t Morgana me, you know it’s true.”

“My love life has nothing to do with matters of the kingdom.”

“You’re grumpy all day long. You make everyone around you grumpy. I’m tired of it.”

She hisses a few words in the language of the old religion and outstretches her hand in Arthur’s direction, a wave of magic flowing from her, but instead of hitting only Arthur it spreads in circle from her and further through the walls. She has to sit down in her chair as her head spins, the spell much more taxing than she thought it would be.

Arthur is watching her with wide eyes.

“What did you do?” he blurts out.

“You’ll see soon enough,” she snaps at him.

“What did you do to my kingdom?” he stands up, yelling.

“I guess I went a bit overboard. There might be quite a few weddings in near future.”

“A love spell? Really?”

“More of an honesty charm. Honesty about people’s feelings to be more precise.”

“Right now I feel like I want to strangle you. Honestly.”

 

~x~

 

“Arthur, I know you’re in there. Let me in!”

“I don’t want to see anyone,” Arthur says, gripping the armrests of the chair tightly to stop himself from running towards the door and launching himself at Merlin.

“Open the damn door!”

“No.” He bangs his head on the back of the chair.

“You asked for it,” Merlin yells and the door bursts open, revealing a disheveled and angry looking court sorcerer.

“Go away!” Arthur orders, looking at the floor.

“I get it. You know. You’d have to be completely blind not to notice. There probably isn’t a single soul in this castle who doesn’t know about my feelings for you. But I’m not going to throw myself at you against you will. I’m your friend. I can’t believe you’d think I’d do that to you.”

“What?” Arthur asks, looking up at Merlin, taking in all the nervous energy and restless fidgeting. 

“No matter who the love of your life is, I will stand by your side, protecting you.” He closes his eyes, a single tear making its way down his cheek. “My heart will break into million pieces, but as long as you’re happy…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence. Arthur isn’t even sure if he was meant to hear, the words so quietly spoken.

“Are you saying you love me?” Arthur asks, standing up, his feet bringing him forward, closer to Merlin.

“Arthur, please…” Merlin says, his voice breaking. 

He turns to leave, but Arthur catches his wrist.

“I love you,” Arthur says. 

He tugs at Merlin’s hand and gently turns him to face him.

“I love you,” he whispers once more and leans in to place a chaste kiss on Merlin’s lips.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, he’s rewarded with an armful of Merlin who’s laughing breathlessly in between frantic kisses, trying to touch everywhere all at once. Eventually, he calms down, settling his hands on Arthur’s back and deepening the kiss. Arthur never wants it to end.

 

~x~

 

“Nervous?” Arthur asks, trailing kisses along Merlin’s chest and down his belly.

“I’ve never…”

Arthur pauses, glancing up at Merlin who is biting his lip, deep blush spreading over his cheeks and down his neck.

“Not even with a girl?”

Merlin shakes his head, not meeting Arthur’s eyes.

“I imagined being your first. I just never believed it could actually happen. You’re too gorgeous to still be a virgin,” Arthur says, nuzzling Merlin’s belly. 

Merlin tugs him up for a kiss, moaning when Arthur presses his thigh against his cock.

“Make me yours,” Merlin whispers. 

“You’ve always been mine,” Arthur says, grinning into the kiss.

“Take me,” Merlin says, his tone low, making Arthur’s heart beat faster.

“I need something to…” he starts, pulling away to find some oil or salve to ease the way.

“No, you don’t,” Merlin stops him.

He closes his eyes for a second, opening them just in time for Arthur to see the gold of his irises change back to blue.

“Did you..?” He reaches down to slip his fingers past Merlin’s balls, gasping when he feels wetness under his fingertips. “You prepared for me,” he says, voice full of wonder.

Merlin is breathing through slightly parted lips, his hips rolling up to grind against Arthur’s forearm.

“I want you,” he breathes out.

Arthur gathers some of the leaked moisture and spreads it over his cock. Lifting Merlin’s legs to rest over his shoulders, he kisses his knee and caresses his thigh. 

“We’ll take it slow. Just breathe,” he says and starts pressing in.

Merlin clenches his hands in the sheets, his eyes closed as Arthur nudges his opening, just waiting for the muscle to relax. The head sinks in and Merlin yelps, a small pained moan escaping him when Arthur pushes in a bit more. Arthur strokes his cock, bringing it to full hardness again as it wilted from his nervousness. 

“Merlin?” Arthur asks and Merlin opens his eyes, nodding for him to go on.

Arthur moves all the way in and stops, leaning down to kiss away the tear on Merlin’s cheek.

“Breathe,” Arthur says and Merlin lets out a breath he was holding. 

Starting with slow thrusts, Merlin’s grunts of discomfort turn into gasps of pleasure. His hands are no longer tangled in the sheets, instead touching Arthur’s sides and back and drawing him in for a messy kiss. 

“So gorgeous, so right for me, perfect,” Arthur murmurs, speeding up his thrusts. 

Merlin’s lips seem to be unable to let out anything but Arthur’s name. It’s driving Arthur wild.

“I’m going to fill you up. You’ll be always leaking my seed. I won’t let you go without.”

Another moan of Arthur’s name.

“I’d make you swell with my baby if I could.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Merlin gasps, bucking up to meet Arthur’s hand as he brings him closer to the edge.

“You’d look so beautiful, carrying my heir.”

Merlin screams Arthur’s name once more and comes, shaking with the force of it.

Pressing his face into the crook of Merlin’s neck, Arthur fucks into him without abandon, filling him with hot come just as he promised.

Neither one of them notice the gold swirling in Merlin’s eyes.

 

~x~

 

Merlin is standing on the side of the training grounds, hands on the battlements. Arthur knows his eyes are closed and his breathing even. He knows he doesn’t hear the sounds of the weapons clashing, the knights’ grunts and laughs. He’s in his own world, letting magic flow through him, feeding the wards surrounding the city. 

If he would press himself to Merlin’s back now, he’d feel the power simmering around his lover’s body. Merlin would lean into his embrace, unaware of the action, and the magic would envelop them both. 

He could caress and touch his lover’s body, play with his sensitive areas until his cock would be hard and leaking without a single touch to it. He could stroke him to his orgasm, watch him wake up from his trance with a gasp. He did once. The wards around the city shined golden for a moment as Merlin shuddered through his orgasm. It scared quite a lot of people and his knights spent the whole afternoon explaining there’s no danger, but it was totally worth seeing Merlin’s blissed out expression and feeling the wild surge of magic as Merlin peaked.

He won’t do that today though. Mainly because he’s not too keen to have his knights for an audience, but also because there’s something off about Merlin these days. He seems tired, eats less during the day and much more in the evening. Merlin insists there’s nothing wrong with him and maybe there isn’t. His smiles are still the same. He’s still calling Arthur a prat, even with his lips wrapped around Arthur’s cock. Especially then. And he shines with happiness after every session of teaching his apprentices how to harness their power and use it for good. There’s no reason for Arthur to worry about him.

Except Arthur still does. 

Turning back to his knights, he tries to shake off the uneasy feeling by throwing himself into training.

 

~x~

 

Pushing one of the younger knights to the ground, pointing a tip of the sword to his neck, he grins at his terrified expression.

“Not bad,” he says after a second and draws his sword back, offering the young man a hand.

“Sire?” he says, hint of fear in his voice, looking up above Arthur’s head.

“What?” Arthur asks and glances in the same direction. 

He spins around the moment his eyes register the flickering of gold in the sky, running towards Merlin who’s leaning heavily on the stone barrier in front of him. Letting go of his sword, he’s there just in time to catch Merlin before he hits the ground. He looks ashen, his brows wet with sweat, his breathing shallow but thankfully growing deeper by the second.

“Merlin, you idiot, what have you done this time?” Arthur asks, checking for visible injuries and finding none. “Last time you fainted like this, that crazy witch opened the veil, and I almost lost you.”

Leon and Gwaine join him, Gwaine kneeling beside Merlin to check on his friend. Few months ago, Arthur would be swamped with jealousy, but now he knows there’s nothing more than friendly feelings between Gwaine and Merlin. Actually, he could live with less knowledge about Gwaine’s and Percival’s spell induced coupling and the many couplings that followed. Damn Gwaine’s lack of brain to mouth filter.

“Leon, send knights to lower town to make sure there’s no panic. The official story is that the court sorcerer overdid it a bit with strengthening the wards,” Arthur says, caressing Merlin’s too cold cheek.

Leon leaves with a ‘yes, sire’ and a nod, going back to instruct the knights loitering on the training grounds who are pretending they’re not watching the scene happening mere few meters away.

“Are you neglecting my dear old friend, princess?” Gwaine asks, his hand resting on Merlin’s wrist, probably to feel his pulse. 

“Shut up, Gwaine. This isn’t funny,” Arthur growls at him, gathering Merlin close, getting ready to stand up.

“I know, sorry,” Gwaine says and for once sounds like he means it.

“Let’s get him to Gaius.” 

 

~x~

 

“I don’t know what you’re hiding and why, but damn it, Merlin, out with it!”

“It’s nothing, Arthur. I’m fine.”

“Obviously you’re not fine. You fainted!”

“It’s no big deal.” 

“Sure. No big deal,” Arthur mutters, turning on his heels and stomping out of the room. 

He stops behind the corner, leaning against the wall and letting out a shuddering breath. Slumping down on the nearby stairs, he holds his head in his palms, trying not to think about Merlin poisoned. Mace hitting him in the centre of his chest. So cold and still after the Dorocha’s touch. And those are only the moments Arthur saw with his own eyes. 

His imagination creates images for Merlin’s stories, the ones he told him after revealing himself as a sorcerer. He often dreams about the bolt of pure power from Aufric’s staff, about Merlin bound and alone in the woods, whimpering in pain when the serket stings him, about him tied up and tortured. He wakes up and clutches Merlin to his chest, ignoring his grumblings about possessive prats. 

And Merlin doesn’t get it. No matter how often Arthur tells him to stay safe, he never listens. He always says that he’s fine, never complains about things that actually matter. Arthur dreads that one day someone will come to tell him that something bad happened and Merlin didn’t survive this time. 

He presses heels of his palms against his eyes, fighting back the tears and swallowing around the lump in his throat.

“Arthur?”

Arthur shakes his head and doesn’t look at him. Merlin sits down next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Arthur leans into the touch, anger and frustration ebbing away, leaving him tired and wrung out.

“I’m alright, just a little tired,” Merlin says, laying his head on Arthur’s shoulder. “I’m safe.”

“This time,” Arthur says, proud that his voice doesn’t waver. 

“Arthur…”

Arthur stands up abruptly and takes a few quick steps away before turning back towards Merlin.

“You don’t think. You jump head first into action. You always think about others first before your own well-being.” 

“You realize you described yourself too, don’t you?” Merlin retorts.

“I’ve lost too many people in my life. I can’t lose you too,” Arthur nearly shouts.

Merlin shoots to his feet. 

“My father died in my arms, Freya, Will… You’re not the only one who lost someone and you’re not the only one who worries. All those tournaments, skirmishes, assassination attempts. Why do you think I check the wards so often? Why do I make sure I feel it every time a sorcerer enters the city? Do you think it’s easy?” he finishes, swaying a bit as his head spins. 

Arthur’s hands settle on his sides and he uses the gentle grip to guide Merlin to sit down again before taking his place one step higher with his hips bracketing Merlin’s thin form, urging Merlin to lean into the embrace. Merlin covers Arthur’s hand with his own where it’s resting over Merlin’s belly.

“I guess we’re both idiots,” Merlin says, glancing up at Arthur.

He gets no answer, only lips ghosting over his forehead and fingers caressing his cheek.

 

~x~

 

Arthur watches Merlin’s desperate attempts at staying awake during a council meeting. The exhaustion seems to be his constant companion these days. The sickly green of his skin does nothing to ward off Arthur’s worries for Merlin’s health. Gaius has tried quite a few remedies for upset stomach, but they seem to have only little effect, if any. 

Despite the continuing vomiting episodes, Merlin seems to be gaining weight, especially around his belly and hips. Not much, it’s not really noticeable under the layers of clothes Merlin has started wearing as of late, his limbs seemingly unable to stay warm. But at night, holding Merlin close, he can feel soft flesh where there were protruding hipbones mere weeks before. 

When the meeting is over, Arthur and Merlin are the first to leave. Arthur knows Merlin must be feeling unwell when he doesn’t comment on either Arthur’s hand on his lower back, or the fact he’s steering him towards Gaius’ chambers. 

 

~x~

 

Leaning against the wall, Arthur watches as Gaius checks Merlin over. He feels useless, completely out of his element. Merlin shrugs off his shirt and lies down, allowing Gaius to feel his stomach. Arthur starts pacing.

Gaius is taking his time, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Arthur asks, stepping closer to the cot. 

“Lower your trousers a bit, please,” Gaius says, ignoring Arthur’s question.

“Gaius, what’s wrong?” Arthur asks again when Gaius continues gently feeling Merlin’s lower belly.

“Calm down,” Merlin says with a hint of a smile and outstretches his hand in silent invitation.

Arthur is tempted to ignore it in favour of sulking, but Merlin’s shaky exhale and a slight tremor of his hand bring him to his side in an instant. Kneeling down next to the bed, he takes Merlin’s hand in his own.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Gaius mutters mostly to himself, stands up and goes to search through one of his books.

Arthur’s about to jump up and demand answers, but Merlin stops him with a whispered ‘wait’ and a tightening of his hand. Merlin sits up and dresses, patiently waiting for Gaius to tell them his verdict. 

“In all the years of my practice as a physician, I never encountered such a situation,” Gaius says, setting down his glasses. “You seem to be…” He looks from Merlin to Arthur and back a few times.

“I seem to be?” Merlin prompts.

“All the symptoms indicate that you are with child.”

“But…” Arthur starts just as Merlin breathes out a surprised, “what?”

“He’s a… he,” Arthur adds rather unhelpfully.

“This must be some sort of a mistake,” Merlin says, even paler than before which Arthur didn’t think possible. 

“It’s too early to say for sure, but I examined many a woman with similar symptoms. Compared to them, I’d say you are about three to four months along. I’m afraid we can only wait to prove my theory.”

Merlin’s eyes are wide with shock, his grip on Arthur’s hand bordering on painful. 

“There must be something to make him feel better,” Arthur says.

“I’m guessing his magic is helping to make changes necessary for carrying the child which must be causing severe stress to his body. He’ll need to eat regularly and I’ll prepare some restorative potions that should help with exhaustion. Hopefully, the nausea will pass when he enters the later stage of pregnancy.”

“A baby,” Merlin says, staring straight ahead. “We’re having a baby.”

Hearing him say that, Arthur realizes for the first time what they’re talking about. Merlin isn’t ill, a new life is blooming under his heart. He thought he’d never get to be a father, but his consort surprised him once more. 

“How is it going to come out?” Merlin blurts suddenly.”I don’t have the… the…”

“Easy, Merlin, one step at a time,” Gaius says and lays a hand on Merlin’s forehead. “You should rest now.” He mutters a spell and Merlin goes boneless, his eyes sliding shut. For Arthur, it’s pure instinct to catch Merlin and guide him into lying position. 

“Was it really necessary,” he asks Gaius, accepting the offered blanket and spreading it over Merlin’s sleeping form. 

“He was too tired to deal with such big news. And I need to think through what I’m going to tell him next. The last thing we need is a panicking warlock.”

 

~x~

 

A month later, there’s no denying Merlin’s pregnancy. Not when the swell of his belly is clear even under the layers of clothes that barely fit anymore. With the morning sickness gone, he can eat more which helps fight the constant tiredness. 

Coming to terms with the unexpected situation is difficult for both of them. Arthur knows he’s walking on eggshells around Merlin, which in turn makes Merlin irritated and snappy, but Arthur has no idea how to handle the situation. There’s no guide for magical pregnancy. There’s not a single mention of it in any book Gaius has searched through so far. 

They already discussed the practicalities of the baby’s birth, both of them turning ashen as Gaius explained both the option of Merlin’s body creating the birthing channel, thus allowing for natural childbirth, and the surgical option of cutting the baby out of Merlin’s body. Arthur isn’t sure which one of the options scares him more.

Natural birth would demand more drastic changes in Merlin’s body and who knows how painful they might be, not to mention the long hours of actual labour. When they discussed the surgical option, Merlin seemed ready to bolt, even when he’d probably faint before he’d be able to leave the room. Arthur doesn’t blame him. The whole concept is frankly terrifying. Slicing Merlin’s belly open, pulling their baby out and then closing the wound with magic, with Merlin conscious during the whole procedure because he would be the one to perform the spell. Natural birth suddenly seems much more alluring. 

With their wedding two days away, the castle is bustling with activity. Guests have been arriving for over a week already and Arthur spent most of his time greeting the nobles while still dealing with the running of the kingdom and answering thousands questions about the upcoming ceremony. 

Merlin has been hiding in their chambers most of the time, scared away by the first group of visiting ladies who gushed over his baby bump and proceeded to touch it without asking for permission. If he didn’t manage to retreat on his own, Arthur would have saved him himself as Merlin seemed close to letting his magic take over and get rid of the bunch of annoying, personal space not respecting women. In his current state, they’d probably end up somewhere far away from the city which would have been a political nightmare.

Tired of dealing with people, Arthur finally makes his way to their chambers. Thankfully, there’s no reason to pretend there’s anything virginal about their relationship which means no separate chambers for his consort-to-be. 

Merlin is curled on the bed, fast-asleep. As tempting as it is to just join Merlin on the bed, Arthur’s stomach reminds itself at the sight of the half-eaten dinner left for Arthur on the table. He eats quickly, watching Merlin’s sleeping form. He looks so peaceful, his body completely relaxed. It’s a rare sight these days.

Climbing under the covers, he’s doing his best not to jostle Merlin awake. Pressing himself to Merlin’s back, he smiles as Merlin mumbles something in his sleep, unconsciously seeking warmth of Arthur’s embrace.

 

~x~

 

“Finally,” Merlin sighs, leaning against the closed door of their chambers. “I thought we’d never get to leave.”

“It’s a royal wedding. There are certain protocols that need to be upheld,” Arthur says, unbuckling the belt holding his sword and depositing it on the table. 

“You’re the king. You can do what you want.”

“Diplomacy, Merlin. I thought you were familiar with the subject.”

“Can I get this thing off now? It’s so uncomfortable,” Merlin says, reaching for the crown resting on his head. 

“I don’t know,” Arthur says, crowding him against the door and pulling his hands away from the silver band. “I quite like it on you.” 

“I am not taking it to bed,” Merlin says resolutely.

“Are you sure there’s no way to…” Arthur leans in to ghost his lips over the sensitive area of Merlin’s neck. “…convince you,” he whispers into Merlin’s ear before biting his earlobe gently. 

“It depends,” Merlin answers, turning the tables and pressing Arthur to the door instead. 

“On?” Arthur’s hands work on unfastening Merlin’s jacket.

“What are you offering,” Merlin says with a wicked smile.

“What are my consort’s wishes?”

“I wouldn’t say no to a massage.”

“Here?” Arthur’s hands move to Merlin’s nape and Merlin hums his pleasure as he slowly moves his hand down his spine. “Or here?” he asks, pressing against the muscles of Merlin’s lower back. 

“Oh gods, yes,” Merlin moans, dropping his head against Arthur’s shoulder. 

“Should I carry you to bed too?” Arthur teases.

“Prat,” comes the expected reply before he’s tugged in the desired direction.

It’s no surprise their clothes disappear while they take those few short steps. Merlin’s too impatient to deal with stripping Arthur’s chainmail manually. He almost always is. To Arthur’s pleasure, the crown still sits in its place on Merlin’s head, shining against his dark hair. 

Merlin sprawls on his front on the mattress, arching his brow at Arthur when he doesn’t follow immediately. Arthur smirks at him and takes a vial of massage oil from the cupboard next to the bed. He starts slow, straddling Merlin’s thighs and simply running his hands up and down Merlin’s back. He adds pressure to the places that feel tight under his fingers, rewarded by moans of pleasure/pain falling from Merlin’s lips. When he’s satisfied with the result, he shifts lower, deciding to change the course of action. He works Merlin’s buttocks and thighs, slipping his fingers into the cleft of Merlin’s arse occasionally. 

Merlin’s panting into the pillow now, spreading his thighs wider and bucking up into Arthur’s touch. Slicking his fingers with more oil, Arthur teases Merlin’s pucker for a few moments before pressing a single digit inside and crooking it just right. He’s in no rush, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves in Merlin’s body. Merlin tries to turn around at first, but Arthur holds him down, his hand a constant pressure on Merlin’s back. After a while, Merlin stops struggling and melts into the mattress, the slight roll of his hips his only movement. His lips parted, gaze slightly unfocused in pleasure. 

Arthur ignores his own hard cock and continues to grant Merlin the most intimate pleasure he can. They’ve only ever used fingers as foreplay, but Arthur wants to change that today. 

Merlin’s movements grow more forceful, his breathing more ragged and he’s straining under Arthur’s palm again. He begs Arthur to push harder, go faster, his whole body yearning for the release. Arthur already plans to try this again sometime, maybe tie Merlin up and prolong the process, to hold Merlin on the brink of ecstasy for long minutes before allowing him to come. But not tonight. 

Tonight he listens to Merlin’s pleading and speeds up his tempo, adds a little bit more pressure. It almost surprises him when Merlin comes, his whole body shaking with the force of it. He gently removes his finger from Merlin’s still spasming hole and lies down. 

As Arthur learned in the past, Merlin is very tactile after orgasm, even more than usually. This time is no exception. After the first few seconds of mind-numbing pleasure, Merlin immediately shifts to cuddle mode, pressing close and latching onto Arthur. Before he can stop him, Merlin’s hand wraps around Arthur’s cock, applying all sorts of dirty tricks to get him to his peak faster. Not exactly how he planned to continue, but plans can be rearranged. He presses his lips to Merlin’s, kissing him until he can’t concentrate even on this simple task. Few more seconds, and he spills his seed in between their bodies. 

By some miracle, the crown is still sitting on Merlin’s head. It’s slightly askew with Merlin’s hair sticking in various directions around it which looks frankly adorable. 

“Was the massage thorough enough?” Arthur asks, grinning. 

“For now,” Merlin mumbles and snuggles even closer to Arthur. “I’m expecting you to go a bit deeper in that final part next time.”

“That can be arranged.” 

Merlin mumbles a quick cleaning spell to get rid of the mess and pulls a blanket over them, clear signal that by next time he means in the morning. Arthur won’t argue with that.

 

~x~

 

Arthur has the battle completely under control. There might not be any conveniently falling branches, but he can very well handle a group of bandits that decided to interrupt their hunting trip. It's not like he's alone to fight them either. Four of his knights and a visiting lord are right by his side. 

He runs yet another thug through, ripping his sword out of his unmoving body. There is at least six more, two heading in his direction. Quick glance around shows him one of the visiting lords, Sir Rodney, run towards him before he turns back to the men about to attack him. 

Except they don't attack. Instead he feels cold blade pressed to his neck. He stills, wondering about the probability of his survival if he were to hit the man holding the blade.

“Not so brave now, are you?” Sir Rodney hisses into his ear. 

“What do you think you're doing?” Merlin's voice rings through the clearing before Arthur can come up with some witty response. 

The blade disappears from his neck and Sir Rodney is dragged away from Arthur by invisible force, the remaining bandits are pinned to the nearby trees. Arthur whips around to face his consort whose attention is focused on the traitor forced to kneel in front of him. He's dressed in his night shirt, clearly pulled right out of bed. 

“You think it's a good idea to try to kill the king? My husband? Father of my unborn child?” Merlin's expression is thunderous, his eyes blazing furious gold. “I am Emrys, the son of the earth, the sea, the sky.” Lightning flashes across the sky, thunder following right after. “I command the power of life and death itself. Tell me, why should I spare you?”

Sir Rodney stares up at Merlin with terror in his eyes, unable to utter a single word. 

It takes Arthur a few seconds to pull his gaze away from Merlin's confident posture, the power radiating from every inch of his being. 

“He'll be given the right to speak for himself in court,” Arthur says. “Don't waste any more energy on him.”

Merlin's eyes lift from from the man's face. His face shifts from rage to mere displeasure.

“I should have locked you in our chambers,” Merlin says. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to fall asleep with the baby kicking all the time? I was so comfortable!” he complains, waddling towards Arthur who suddenly feels the urge to back away but stays put. “I'm eight months along. My everything hurts. I'm not in a mood to magic myself into some dark forest instead of sleeping peacefully.”

Arthur can hear the knights snigger in the background as Merlin scolds him. 

“How was I to know he's a traitor?” Arthur defends himself, earning himself a glare.

“If you'd stay in our bed, you wouldn't have to find out like this,” Merlin says, crossing the short distance between them and wrapping Arthur in a hug. “Let's just go home,” he murmurs. 

 

~x~

 

Merlin snuggles to Arthur, pressing his groin against Arthur's hip in an undulating movement. Arthur pulls him closer, mumbling something incoherent into the crook of his neck. It's still too early for him. Merlin's rocking doesn't cease, slowly coaxing Arthur out of slumber. He pets Merlin's back, pressing a kiss to the side of his face that isn't completely squished into the mattress. Merlin's libido tends to wake up before the man himself these days. 

Rolling Merlin more on his back, even though not completely because Merlin doesn't like it with his belly as round and heavy as it is now, he pulls his hip away and leads his hand down instead, hitching up Merlin's nightshirt. He's about to wrap his fingers around Merlin's cock, tease him to full wakefulness like any other morning, but then he encounters a hitch in his perfect plan. Merlin's cock isn't in its usual place.

Arthur pauses, mind still too foggy with sleep to deal with deviations from routine. He slides his hand lower and still no cock. It doesn't stop Merlin from pressing against his hand with obvious intent. 

“Err, Merlin?” he whispers, voice rough from sleep.

Merlin huffs into his pillow, rocking his hips once more. 

“I don't mean to scare you or anything, but you might want to wake up,” Arthur continues, shifting and pulling the blanket away to take a look at the situation.

“What's wrong?” Merlin asks, peering at him from one open eye. 

“Well…” Arthur trails off, looking at a human part he thought he'd never see again in his life. “Your cock is gone.

Arthur blames the early morning for letting a statement like this leave his lips.

“What?” Merlin squeaks, shooting up to look for himself. “What?” he squeaks again when he finds out Arthur is telling the truth. 

Arthur's brain is finally starting to work properly and he realizes that this must mean Merlin's magic took action again and they won't need to cut Merlin open to get the baby out. In a way, it's a relief. Merlin must come to the same conclusion because he slumps back to the mattress and groans something that sounds like “stupid magic”. 

“I'm still horny,” he complains a moment later, arm thrown over his eyes. 

A wave of lust washes over Arthur as he thinks about the possibility to make Merlin come like this.

“I could help with that,” he says, caressing Merlin's side. 

Merlin eyes him dubiously, but doesn't protest Arthur's fingers traveling from his hip to his groin. The moment Arthur slides his fingertip in between his folds, rubbing over the sensitive mound of nerves, Merlin's mood shifts from not very impressed to fully on board in matter of seconds. 

His fingers slide lower, parting Merlin's folds slightly, exploring the newly formed landscape.

“Gods,” Merlin gasps, clutching at Arthur's arm, pressing it against his crotch more firmly. 

His hips roll in unsteady rhythm as Arthur concentrates on his clit once again. Merlin's eyes are scrunched shut, mouth open as he gasps and swears and breathes fast. 

Arthur can tell when Merlin gets close to his peak. The urgent rhythm of his thrusts and the string of breathy moans give him away. He digs his nails in Arthur's arm the moment his orgasm hits. His whole body goes still for a few seconds while Arthur continues rubbing with gentler pressure, prolonging Merlin's pleasure.

Merlin melts into the mattress, his breathing slowly returning to its usual pattern. Arthur hasn't touched himself yet and he's in no rush to do so. Instead he kisses Merlin's slightly parted lips, sliding his fingers through the wetness caused by Merlin's orgasm. He circles the newly formed opening, dipping just a single fingertip inside. 

“Will you let me take your virginity, my fair maiden?” he asks in the pause between kisses. 

He grins when Merlin swats at his shoulder.

“Remind me why I keep you around?” Merlin says, eyes twinkling with mirth. 

Arthur drags his lips against Merlin's jawline, down his neck, over his collarbone. 

“Maybe because of this,” he says and wraps his lips around Merlin's nipple, soaking he fabric of Merlin's night shirt right through.

Pregnancy made Merlin's nipples much more sensitive than they used to be, so he tongues the nub gently before moving to the other one, listening to Merlin's breathless moans. He kisses his way down Merlin's swollen belly, teasing his protruding belly button which only earns him another halfhearted swat. 

Merlin pulls away to assume more comfortable position, settling himself against the pillows, and motions for Arthur to continue. Even if he didn't, his spread thighs would be invitation enough. 

Arthur really loves this particular morning. 

 

~x~

 

“Fuck,” Merlin moans into the mattress, his hand closing around the corner of the nearest pillow. 

Arthur runs his hand up and down Merlin's back, rocking into Merlin languidly, letting him get used to the new sensation. He loves the view of Merlin on his knees, leaning on his elbows with his face pressed against the mattress. He loves the barely audible moans falling from Merlin's lips, the way his muscles are completely lax except for when he rocks back to meet Arthur's thrusts from time to time.

Arthur speeds up, encouraged by Merlin's plea for more. He leans forward, sliding his hand to Merlin's belly and then lower. He's been hard for quite some time so he knows it won't take long for him to finish, but he wants Merlin to come first. Merlin cries out the moment Arthur touches his clit, slamming himself against Arthur hard. He attempts to push himself up from his elbows, but fails halfway through, collapsing to the previous position with a moan of Arthur's name leaving his lips. 

“Let me do all the work, love,” Arthur says, changing his pace once more to a slower one, concentrating on providing Merlin with the most possible pleasure from both his cock and his fingers. He adds a tiny bit more pressure and speed to his fingers as he sees Merlin tensing, his mouth falling open in a silent shout. A few moments later, Merlin comes. Arthur can not only see it on Merlin's face and hear it in his moans, he can also feel it as Merlin's insides squeeze his cock repeatedly. He finally lets go of any restraints and starts pounding into Merlin whose moans turn shorter and a bit higher pitched.

It doesn't take long and Arthur comes, the force of his orgasm making his limbs feel heavy, and he nearly falls on top of Merlin. When the aftershocks subside, he pulls out, slumping to the side and pulling Merlin with him for a bit of after sex cuddling. 

“Alright?” he asks his unusually silent partner.

Merlin hums in response, linking his fingers with Arthur's on top of his belly. 

“I need to pee,” Merlin says after a few minutes of peaceful silence. “How do I even pee?” he squeaks in sudden realization. 

Arthur can't stop his laughter and isn't surprised when a pillow lands on his head. 

 

~x~

 

Nine months' mark passes and the baby seems in no hurry to enter the world. Merlin is torn between enjoying the last days of peace and quiet and complaining about the huge size of his belly and how it makes his back ache. 

Arthur, on the other hand, just wants the baby born and wrapped safely in Merlin's arms. He's not sure how long he'll be able to handle the worry. He has trouble sleeping, waking up at every sound, every tiny shift of Merlin's body. He can't concentrate when Merlin isn't in the same room with him, and often even when he is. 

A long time ago, when they were nothing more than a master and servant, knowing each other for barely a week, Arthur told Merlin that he doesn't get scared. He lied then. And he tries to lie himself now, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he stares at the ceiling, willing the sleep to come. 

He knows Merlin isn't Ygraine. He knows his magic is different from Nimueh's. But that doesn't stop the cold fear from clamping around his heart. There is so much that could go wrong. He managed to push the anxiety aside until these last few days, but he can't anymore. 

He rolls onto his side, spooning Merlin from behind. His hand settles on Merlin's belly. Merlin moves in his sleep, pressing closer into Arthur's embrace.

“Just don't leave me,” Arthur thinks, pressing a kiss into Merlin's curls. 

 

~x~

 

Three days later, Merlin goes into labour. The long hours of initial stages are exhausting for both of them, even if for each in a different way. Merlin's skin is pale as he breathes through the contractions. He stopped caring about muffling his groans after the first hour or two and vents at least a bit of the pain through them. Arthur offers support in any way he can. He lets Merlin rest in his arms, massages his back, helps him walk around the room. His hands are shaking, but he hopes Merlin won't notice. He needs Arthur to be strong. 

When Gaius finally deems Merlin ready, Arthur helps him settle on the birth stool, sitting on the chair behind to provide support. He hates the sounds leaving Merlin's lips with each push. They're not quite whimpers but still carry too much pain. Arthur mops Merlin's sweaty brow with a soft cloth, whispering words of encouragement in between contractions when Merlin rests against his body. He makes him take a few sips of water every now and then, lays kisses on Merlin's lips, cheek, brow. 

Merlin isn't granted fast delivery. It takes more than one candle mark for the baby's head to show. 

“It won't be long now,” Gaius says. “Take short shallow breaths and don't push,” he instructs and Merlin obeys, his eyes shut, his hand gripping Arthur's. 

 

~x~

 

Arthur's eyes fill with tears the moment Gaius settles their son into Merlin's arms. He's feeling lightheaded and a bit unreal. He's holding his family. His consort and his son. Merlin and William. His heart skips a beat as Merlin's head falls to Arthur's shoulder, eyes closed, reminding him of the horror of his worst nightmares. But before he can panic, Merlin's lips twitch into a smile and his eyes blink open. 

“How are you feeling?” Arthur asks, caressing Merlin's arm. 

“Like I could sleep for a week,” Merlin croaks, still smiling, and their son chooses that moment to start crying.

“I don't think sleeping for a week is an option,” Arthur says, watching as Gaius helps Merlin get William in the right position for his first feeding. 

 

~x~

 

“Ready?” Arthur asks, unable to tear his eyes away from Merlin and their son.

Thanks to Merlin's magic, Merlin's body is back to its pre-pregnancy state, all parts included, which Arthur found out thanks to Merlin's loud happiness at not having to sit while peeing the morning after William was born. 

They're about to show their son to the people of Camelot for the first time, so they're both dressed in regal clothes. Merlin's tunic is dark blue while Arthur's is red. They both wear jackets matching the colours of their tunics, Merlin's decorated in silver, Arthur's in gold. William is wrapped in a bundle of white cloth with not much more than his face visible. 

“Ready,” Merlin confirms and Arthur lays his hand on the small of Merlin's back, leading him towards the balcony. 

The loud cheers of the gathered crowd pull William out of slumber, so Merlin rocks him gently while Arthur waves to the crowd. 

Morgana steps to his side, Sir Leon following just behind. She might not have been affected by her own spell, but Leon's admission of his feelings for her was enough to make her admit her own, leading to one more royal wedding not long after the first. 

“You're welcome,” she says into Arthur's ear, pulling away with her signature self-satisfied smirk. 

Arthur shakes his head in amusement, but doesn't protest. With Merlin warm and steady by his side and a son to carry on Pendragon legacy, he does owe her a big thank you.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt (by kitty_fic): Camelot is hit with a curse/wave of magic that exposes everyone's true feelings/makes them horny/etc... so basically everyone is having sex with everyone... but that's not enough - apparently there are further reaching consequences and when it's all over and Merlin and/or Arthur finds out they are pregnant.
> 
> Warnings: partial sex change (Merlin has female genitalia for a while), not too graphic description of childbirth, mention of breastfeeding
> 
> Kudos and/or comments are <3.  
> [My tumblr.](http://elirwen.tumblr.com)


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